100% of Oscar nominees this year are white. Is this fair?

By Iain Alexander / 15 January 2015

The Academy Awards is facing criticism following today's announcement of the actor nominees.

In this year's contest, there are officially no actors in the list of nominees who are not white, and to make matters more sensitive, the general view is that 'Selma' was snubbed, after receiving just 2 nominations.

Featuring fine performances from a host of African American actors, the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic was not able to convince Academy members to vote in big enough numbers to give them any nominations today. In fact, it is perceived that the lack of diversity in this year's contest could undermine the Academy's reputation, despite the fact that 'Selma' is being considered for 'Best motion picture', among 7 others.

'Selma' Trailer

While this year's list of all white nominees may be understandably disappointing, it is only the 2nd time since 1998 that this has been the case. Despite this fact, Hollywood faces an uphill challenge to give more roles to different ethnic groups as America's growing population of Latinos and African Americans among others are not sufficiently represented in motion pictures.

Do you think the Academy Awards are choosing the right nominees this year?